Ladies&#39; purse light with magnetic switch



March 8, 1966 s. c. CASTALDO LADIES PURSE LIGHT WITH MAGNETIC SWITCH Filed Nov. 21, 1963 INVENTOR Sfanleyi Casfafia United States Patent 3,239,658 LADIES PURSE LIGHT WITH MAGNETIC SWITCH Stanley C. Castaldo, Box 313, Rte. 2, Apopka, Fla. Filed Nov. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 325,397 3 Claims. (Cl. 2406.45)

This invention relates to ladies accessories as well as to electricity, and more particularly to that accessory known as a purse which is carried by nearly all females regardless of age, although the present invention is one that will only be of value to grown or nearly grown women. It is related in an equally distinct way by reason of the invention actually being a light with a magnetic switch.

Hardly a lady has not at one time or another wished for a light in her purse when opening the same to get out a door or car key at right in an unlighted area, or when in fact opening the purse for any reason in anything but a good light. Unfortunately no ladies purses are known to be on the market with this valuable timesaving device made into it. Still more distressing is the fact that no electric light with a switch has until this instant been developed for adaptation to ladies purses.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a ladies purse light with a magnetic switch, the magnetic switch proving to be the best type of switch for this purpose by reason of so many of the ladies purses being constructed with longitudinal supporting members as will be described. The light is so constructed as to automatically go on and off as the purse is opened and closed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ladies purse light with a magnetic switch that can be adapted to installation in any ladies purse having the above mentioned longitudinal supporting member in place of the drawstring type of construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ladies purse light with a magnetic switch that is so light in weight as to not create any additional noticeable load in the purse.

Another object of this invention is to provide aladies purse light with a magnetic switch that can be produced in quantity by any existing manufacturer of small electric lights and switches without the necessity of adding a lot of expensive equipment and skilled labor to the plant.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ladies purse light with a magnetic switch that is as foolproof as can be made.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a ladies purse light with a magnetic switch that contains a minimum number of inexpensive parts that can if necessary be repaired by anyone having even the most elementary knowledge of the use of small hand tools and the like.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved article whereby certain important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typical ladies purse having this invention contained therein. The invention is shown in dash lines since it is inside the purse.

FIGURE 2 is a combination perspective view of a portion of a ladies purse and a sectional view of the electric light contained therein and wired to the magnetic switch.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines 33 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction by the arrows.

3,239,658 Patented Mar. 8, 1966 ICC FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but with the purse partly open.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of FIGURE 1 but with the purse partly open as well as having the end partly broken away to better show the mounting of the electric light.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, the reference numeral 10 denotes a typical ladys purse embodying a body of flexible material 11 that is secured to a pair of frames 12, each one of which has the side configuration of an inverted letter U and which consist of a horizontal portion 13 and two side channels 14. Each one of the aforesaid horizontal portions 13 of the frames 12 is also an inverted U-shaped member when viewed in cross section as in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing, where it is seen that the lower ends 15 of each member are pinched together to firmly hold the upper edge 16 of the flexible body material 11 as well as the upper edge 17 of the lining 18 of the purse 10.

Examining FIGURES 1, 2, and 6 of the accompanying drawing it will be seen that the purse 10 is provided with a cylindrical container 19 between the inside surface of one side of the flexible material of the body 11 and the outside of the lining 18 that is on the same side of the purse. An opening is made in the lining 18 for the protrusion of the light bulb 20 that is screwed into the side of the aforesaid cylindrical container 19 and near the closed end 21 of the same. A battery 22 having a spring contact 23 that presses against the contact 24 of the light bulb 20 is located within the cylindrical container 19 in which it is held by means of the Coil spring 25 that is located in the inside of the removable end 26. A pair of electrical wires 27 connect the just described battery 22 and the light bulb 20 with the magnetic switch that will now be explained in detail.

The magnetic switch 28 that is actually the heart of this invention, consists of a magnet holder 29 that is secured on the inside of one of the aforesaid horizontal portions 13 of one of the frames 12. A bar magnet 30 is located in the holder 29, as one can see on looking at FIGURES 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying drawing where it is also seen that directly opposite the aforesaid magnet in the opposite one of the horizontal portions 13 of the pair of frames 12 there is located a nonmetallic block 31 in which is located one end of the spring leaf contact 32 which is nearest the magnet 30 when the purse is closed. A second contact member 33 has an inturned end 34 that will be in contact with the just mentioned spring leaf contact 32.

It is now obvious to anyone having knowledge of electricity and magnetism, that when an electric light is connected to a battery and a magnetic switch such as has been described in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it will light up when the magnet 30 is removed from the vicinity of the leaf spring contact 32 which will spring back and will contact the inturned end 34 of the second contact member 33, thereby permitting the electric current to flow from the battery 22 through the magnetic switch 28 which is in the just described activated, or closed, position and thereby causing the light bulb 20 to light up by reason of this and by the fact that the electric current completes its circuit by flowing into the light bulb 20 through the spring contact 23 of the battery 22 and the contact 24 located in the bottom center of the light bulb 20.

It should be remembered in coming to an understanding of this invention that a purse is broadly defined as a receptacle such as a handbag, pocketbook or wallet, and that therefore this invention can be secured in any receptacle in which it is desired to have a light upon its being opened and without the necessity of having to manually turn on a switch to do so. This invention can be constructed with any shape and size of battery that one finds convenient to use. The invention shall be so secured within the purse as to permit the change of either the light bulb 20 or the battery 22 with a minimum of effort.

The invention is not restricted to the illustrated embodiment but is intended to be varied within the scope of the present invention, except as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ladys purse light with magnetic switch of the character described, comprising a ladys purse in which is secured between the lining and the body of said purse an electric battery in a container connected to both an electric bulb that is screwed in the side of the said container and which shines in the said ladys purse when activated, and a magnetic switch located in the horizontal portions of the frames of the said purse and embodying a permanent magnet in one of the said portions of the said frame and a pair of contact members, one of which is a leaf spring adapted to movement by the said magnet and the other of which is provided with an inturned end adapted to contact the said leaf spring, when the said purse is open, by reason of the said magnets being removed from the effective field of magnetic pull, thereby activating the said electric bulb when the said purse is opened since the said electric bulb is connected to that contact member having an inturned end of an electric wire, and the said leaf spring also being connected to the said battery by an electric wire.

2. A ladys purse light with magnetic switch of the character described, comprising a ladys purse in which is secured between the lining and the body of the said purses an electric battery in a container connected to both an electric bulb that is screwed in the side of the said container and which shines in the said ladys purse when activated, and a magnetic switch located in the horizontal portions of the frame of the said purse and embodying a permanent magnet in one of the said portions of the said frame and a pair of contact members, one of which is a leaf spring adapted to movement by the said magnet and the other of which is provided with an inturned end adapted to contact the said leaf spring, when the said purse is open, by reason of the said magnets being removed from the effective field of magnetic pull, thereby activating the said electric bulb when the said purse is opened since the said electric bulb is connected to that contact member having an inturned end by an electric wire, and the said leaf spring also being connected to the said battery by an electric wire and both of the said contacts being held in parallel spaced relation to one another and Within the confines of one of the said horizontal portions of the said frame of the said purse by a nonmetallic block.

3. A ladys purse light with magnetic switch of the character described, comprising a ladys purse in which is secured between the lining and the body of the said purse an electric battery in a container connected to both an electric bulb that is screwed in the side of the said container which is removably secured between the inside of one side of the flexible body of the said purse and the outside of the lining of the same purse and which shines in the said ladys purses when activated, and a magnetic switch located in the horizontal portions of the frame of the said purse and embodying a permanent magnet in one of the said portions of the said frame and a pair of contact members, one of which is a leaf spring adapted to movement by the said magnet and the other of which is provided with an inturned end adapted to contact the said leaf spring, when the said purse is opened, by reason of the said magnets being removed from the effective field of magnetic pull, thereby activating the said electric bulb when the said purse is opened since the said electric bulb is connected to that contact member having an inturned end by an electric wire, and the said leaf spring also being connected to the said battery by an electric wire and both of the said contacts being held in parallel spaced relation to one another and within the confines of one of the said horizontal portions of the said frame of the said purse by a nonmetallic block.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,300,108 10/1942 Curle 240-645 3,043,931 7/1962 Gruber 200--87 3,104,289 9/1963 Segel 20087 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES C. LOGAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LADY''S PURSE LIGHT WITH MAGNETIC SWITCH OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A LADY''S PURSE IN WHICH IS SECURED BETWEEN THE LINING AND THE BODY OF SAID PURSE AN ELECTRIC BATTERY IN A CONTAINER CONNECTED TO BOTH AN ELECTRIC BULB THAT IS SCREWED IN THE SIDE OF THE SAID CONTAINER AND WHICH SHINES IN THE SAID LADY''S PURSE WHEN ACTIVATED, AND A MAGNETIC SWITCH LOCATED IN THE HORIZONTAL PORTIONS OF THE FRAMES OF THE SAID PURSE AND EMBODYING A PERMANENT MAGNET IN ONE OF THE SAID PORTIONS OF THE SAID FRAME AND A PAIR OF CONTACT MEMBERS, ONE OF WHICH IS A LEAF SPRING ADAPTED TO MOVEMENT BY THE SAID MAGNET AND THE OTHER OF WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH AN INTURNED END ADAPTED TO CONTACT THE SAID LEAF SPRING, WHEN THE SAID PURSE IS OPEN, BY REASON OF THE SAID MAGNET''S BEING REMOVED FROM THE EFFECTIVE FIELD OF MAGNETIC PULL, THEREBY ACTIVATING THE SAID ELECTRIC BULB WHEN THE SAID PURSE IS OPENED SINCE THE SAID ELECTRIC BULB IS CONNECTED TO THAT CONTACT MEMBER HAVING AN INTURNED END OF AN ELECTRIC WIRE, AND THE SAID LEAF SPRING ALSO BEING CONNECTED TO THE SAID BATTERY BY AN ELECTRIC WIRE. 